Perfect World-owned Echtra Games is behind the next Torchlight game

Echtra Games is developing another entry in the now-shuttered studio Runic Games’ Torchlight series under the leadership of Runic Games co-founder Max Schafer.

According to a trailer shared by the dev, that game is Torchlight Frontiers and will take place in a “shared, persistent, and dynamically” generated world, a new addition to the series that had previously only introduced multiplayer through co-op play in Torchlight 2.

"Evolving the Torchlight universe into a shared world has always been a goal for the franchise, and I’m excited that we’re finally able to make it a reality," explained Schafer in a press release. "Torchlight Frontiers will be a living, breathing universe that will still feel uniquely Torchlight, while we add our own creative spin to the game."

The team now working on Torchlight Frontiers is led by Schafer and staffed by developers that previously worked with the Diablo games and past Torchlight titles.

Runic Games itself was shut down by parent company Perfect World in late 2017, one month after the release of Runic’s single-player action adventure game Hob. At the time, Perfect World noted the decision to close Runic’s Seattle office was the result of “the company's continued strategy to focus on online games as a service."